Safety flying machine.



M. CHASE.

SAFETY FLYING MAGHINB.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1910.

1,020,945. Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. CHASE. SAFETY FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIQATIQN FILED APR. 30, 1910.

1,02%945, Patented Mar.19,1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

7 WEHTUE M. CHASE.

SAFETY FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 30, 1910.

1,020,945, Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

, on" an srArras PATENT carton irrrn'on omen, or n nvnnmrn, mssncnusnrrs; nssrenon or nLnvnN-rwnn'rmrns TO IRA WEBSTER AND TWO-TWENTIETHS TO J. FRANK BTGHELDER, BOTH bl HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS. g

. sn'rnry FLYING-MACHINE.

1,020,945. Specification of mar, 1am. Patented Mar. 19,1912.

Application filed April 80, 1910. Serial No. 558,727.

To all whom it may concem: tions and arrangements of parts hereinafter Be it known that I, -Mnrron CHASE, of described and claimed, the advantages of Haverhill in the county of Essex and State which will be obvious to those skilled in the of Massachusetts, have invented certain new art from the following description.

5 and useful Improvements in- Safety Flying- In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 Machines, of which the following is a speciis a view partly in .elevation and partly in fi tio 1 vertical section; Fig. 2 is a plan v1ew;-andv This invention relates to air ships and Fig. 3 is an inverted 'lan view on an enhas for its object the provision of an air larged scale showing etails of the mecha- 0 ship which is adapted for the transportanism for tilting and rotating the frame tion of passengers, or for military use. work. 4

With the above object in view t ,e present As shown in the drawings, the ship comembodiment of the invention comprises a prises a car or bod part-1 com osed of radially arranged skeleton or framework metallic outer and mner shells, t e space 5 carrying a plurality of aerial propellers. between them being filled with some suit- The framework is so mounted about a uni able yielding-material. The walls of the car versal joint as to permit a movement in all are constructed to resist shot and shell when directions above the horizontal, in order to used for .military purposes. For convenprovide dirigibility and ease in steering. ience in landing, a suitable number of This framework with the propellers may Wheels 2 may be attached to the lower end also be supplemented by an auxiliary frameof the car, as shown in Fig. 1.

work carrying a balanced ruddenand one Within the car is a platform or floor 4, a or more propellers which may be turned to upon which the motors are mounted and to any point of the horizon. In the present inwhich the superstructure of the ship is atstance, four sets of superposed propellers tached. Below the floor 4 are lockers 5 and are shown, and to the upper one of each set 6, having sliding-doors 8, each of which is a parachute is connected which opens autooperated by a bell-crank lever 10 extending ma-tically should the ship drop owing to a above the floor. An outlet or discharge failure 1n the motive power. The lower door 12 is provided in the bottom of the car, propeller of each set is ormed with hinged which may be 0 ened by'a bell-crank lever vanes connected to a large parachute mount- 14, projecting a ove the floor 4, and coned upon the central stem of the framework nected to the door by a link 15. Two side so that as the parachute opens, the vanesdoors 16 are also provided for convenience are tilted until flat, and thus act also as in loading and unloading supplies, freight parachutes to aid those above; and the like.

For military purposes an armored car or If the ship is intended for military purbody may be provided, equipped with means poses, a number of cannon or guns 18 may for throwing projectiles or explosives. To be pivotally mounted upon levers l9, fulthis end light guns are provided which are crumed above the upper edge of the car so operated by compressed air or other ases. that they may be tilted downward at any Within the armored car is the pilot ouse angle. .These guns may be operated by com or operating platform, and means are also pressed air, which' is supplied through provl ed for storing supplies and the acflexible pipes 20, connectedto an air tank :ommodation of passengers; The weight 21. In order to absorb the shock of the re- )f the load and equipment is located well coil after firing the gun, the inner end of Jelow the center of gravity, thus insuring each lever 19 is connected to a plunger 22 :tabllity. moving within a cylinder 23, and having a As an" additional safeguard, the prosupply of air to absorb the shock transellers may be connected with auxiliary momitted by the plunger. ors which may be run b com' ressed air The superstructure and propelling mechupplied from storage ta in t e car. anism of the ship is'mounted on a tube 30 In addition to the features of the invensupported at its lower end in standards 31, ion above referred to the present invention. carried by the floor The upper end of lso consists of certain devices, combinathe tube 30 is formed ith a spherical 42 and 46 respectively.

' platform or pilot house 85.

tion of one pair w1ll suflice for all. The propeller 40 is secured to a shaft 42 journaled to rotate in a sleeve 39 on one arm of a frame 43, at one end of a tube 44 projecting radially from the shell 34. The propeller 41 is secured to a shaft 46 journaled to rotate in the lower arm of the frame 43. For the purpose of rotating the propellers I provide primary motors 48, and auxiliary motors 50. A suitable reservoir holds the necessary fuel for supplying the primary motors, which may be hydro-carbon engines. The auxiliary motors 50 are connected to the compressed air reservoir 51 by pipes 49 and may be used to assist the main motor or they may be used independently. The motors 48 are connected by suitable gearing to a main the tube 30,

driving shaft 52 running within and connected by a universal joint 54 on its upper end to a shaft 56. A bevel gear 58 is secured to the shaft .56 and meshes with bevel gears 60, carried by shafts 62 journaled to rotate in the tubes '44. A bevel ear 64 is secured to the outer end of each shaft 62 and meshes with bevel gears 65 and 66 secured to the adjacent ends of the shafts The propellers 40 and 41 are pitched in opposite directions so that they may operate to drive together, since they rotate in oppositedirections.

In order to aid in steadying the machine and to aid in directing the same, a balanced rudder and one or more propellers are provided. The propellers 70 and 71 rotate in planes at right angles tothe planes of the superposed lifting propellers, mounted upon a shaft 72, jourualed in an auxiliary framework 74, restin upon a plate 7 5, supported by a collar 37 fast on the shaft 56, said plate having a circular rack on its under side. A bevel gear 7 6 is secured to the upper end of the shaft 56 and meshes with a bevel pinion? 8 on the shaft 72. so that the rotation of the shaft 56 causes the rotation of the propellers 70 and 71.' v

The rudder is pivotally mounted upon arms ,81 and 82 projecting laterally from the auxiliary framework 74. The rudder is controlled by a handle 84 accessible from the This handle is connected to one end of a flexible shaft 86, having a spur pinion 87 on its upper end. This pinion 87 meshes and are plate tively,

with a gear 88 roabout .the shaft 56 and cured to a bevel gear 89 also rotatable about the shaft 56. The bevel gear 89 meshes with a bevel pinion 90 connected to one end of-a flexible shaft 91, having at its other end a worm 92, which engages a' worm wheel 94,

tatable loosely secured to a stem on the lower edge of the rudder 80 and" journaled in the end ofthe arm 82.

The ship is also provided with safety appliances consisting of a large central para chute 98 connected to one of each pair of superposed propellers, which is formed with pivoted vanes, which may be flattened out to offer additional resistance to the downward movement of the ship. Small auxiliary arachutes 96 may also be provided, carrie by the slee'ves 39 on the upper arms of the frames 43. These parachutes open automatically to aid the main parachute. The main parachute is mounted about the central tube 30, and is connected by links 100 to levers 102, fulcrumed in the frame 43, and having collars 104 slidably mounted on theshafts 46. These collars are connecte by means of links 106 to the vanes 108, which are pivotally mounted on the arms 110 of the propeller.

Thus as the parachute 98 opens the levers 102 will be tilted to force down the collars 104 and flatten the vanes 108.

An extremely important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the entire propelling and guiding a paratus of the machine has a controllab e tilting movement in all directions about the universal joint 54.; All of the propelling and guiding apparatus is connected to and supported the spherical shell 34 which is rotated in all directions about the spherical flange 32. To accomplish this a large face gear ring 112 is provided, shown ininverted plan view on an enlarged scale in Fig. 3, supported by bars 114 connected to the shell 34. screw mounted upon a plate 120, adjacent to the ring 112, said screw being rotatably mounted in a sleeve 122 rotatable on the tube 30. By rotating the screw 116 the ring 112 may be drawn in or'out and perstructure about the universal joint 54 as a center. In order to rotate the superstructure in any direction, a gear 126 is provided which meshes with the face gear on the plate 112, and is slidably journaled in a sleeve 130 rotatable on the tube 30. The outer end of the shaft 128 is journaled to rotate in a boss 131 on the 120. The screw 116 and shaft 128 are provided with handles 132 and 134 respecwhich are conveniently located with respect to the deck or pilot house 85.

For the purpose of rotating the frame 74 and the propellers and rudder about the shaft 56, a handle is provided, conmounted on a shaft 128,

thus tilt all of the su- 1 venient to the, operator in the pilot house 85, and connected to the lower endof the flexible shaft 142, the upper end of which is connected to a worm 144, cooperating with the teethon the under side of the plate 75.

From the construction aboveset forth it will be seen that all parts of the machine can be controlled from the pilot'house and that the propelling mechanism and entire superstructure of the ship can be tilted at any angle above the horizon and swung around to any direction. For some puroses as, when Sim l carr in assen ers the upper set of propellers and the rudder may be dispensed with and the entire steering accomplished by tilting and rotating the 0 work, an auxillary framework mounted to framework with the superposed propellers. It will be understood that the number of pairs and their size may be varied to suit various requirements without departing from the scope of the invention.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by any personskilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction shown and described, but

What I claim is 1. An airship, having, in combination, a car, a framework above the car, propellers carried by the framework, and means whereby said framework may be tilted and rotated in any direction. v

2. An airship, having, in combination, a car, a framework above the car, propellers carried by said framework, a ring carried by the framework, means cooperatin with said ring for rotating said framewor. and means cooperating with said ring for tilting the framework.

3. An air ship, having, in combination, a car, a central tubular stem, a framework, a universal joint connecting said stem and framework, a plurality of propellers carried by said framework and means for tilting said framework about said universal joint.

4:. An air ship, having, car, a central tubular stem, a framework, a universal joint connecting said stem and framework, a pluralityof propellers carried by said framework, and means for turnin said framework in any direction.

5. An air ship, having, in combination a car, a main framework connected 110 said car,

a universal joint within the framework, superposed propellers carried by the framein combination, a-

rotate, propellers carried by said auxiliary framework, a rudder on said auxiliary framework, and means for rotating said framework.

6. An air ship, having, in combination, a car, a framework above the car, propellers mounted on said framework having pivoted varies, -a parachute mounted on said framework, and connections between said arachute and vanes, whereby the latter will be tilted by the opening of the former to aid in preventing a too rapid descent of the ship.

7. An air ship, having, in combination, a car, a framework above said car, a plurality of pairs of propellers carried by said framework, a primary motor connected to drive said propellers, auxiliary motors carried by the framework, and a safety device comprising a parachute supported by said framewor 8. An airship, having, car, a framework, a universal joint within the framework, means for tilting said framework relatively to the car, means for rotating said framework, propellers carried by said framework, and means for rotating said propellers.

9. An air ship, having, in combinationya car, a main framework, a universal joint within the framework, means for tilting said main framework relatively of the car,

means for rotating said main framework, auxiliary framework mounted to rotate relatively to said main framework, means for controlling the rotation of said auxiliary framework, propellers carried by sa d frameworks, and means for rotating sald propellers. p

10. An air ship, having, a framework, a plurality of propellers haying hinged vanes and rotatably mounted in said framework, means for rotating said pro- 4 pellers, and means automatically operable upon the sudden descent of the ship for t1lting the vanes of the propellers to prevent a too rapid descent of the ship.

' 11. An air ship, having, in combinatlon, a main framework, means for rotating said framework, propellers carried by said main framework, an auxiliary framework carried by said main framework, propelling means on said auxiliary framework, and means for rotating said auxiliary framework.

In'test'imony whereof I have alfixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

:MILTON CHASE. Witnesses WILLIAM J. SPERL, HENRY O. Srnsnnn, 2d.

in combination, a

in combination, 

